1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image storing apparatus for storing images, an image control apparatus for transmitting a print order to a print command in response to a print order from a client, an output control apparatus for printing an image in accordance with the print command from the image control apparatus, an information processing apparatus for registering image data in the image storing apparatus, respectively running on a network realizing print services, a system of these apparatuses, a print control method for the system, and to a storage medium storing a computer readable program realizing the print control.
2. Related Background Art
The following methods have been incorporated in using print services on a network. A client which wishes to edit images receives editing images from an image storing apparatus on the network, edits the received images, and transmits the edited image data and a print order to an image control apparatus on the network.
Upon reception of the print order of image data from the client on the network, the image control apparatus (print controller) transmits a print command including the image data to an output control apparatus (print server) which then print the image data. In this case, character string data, graphic data and the like other than the image data are developed into print images and thereafter transmitted to the output control apparatus.
Upon reception of the print command from the image control apparatus on the network, the output control apparatus prints the image data contained in the print command, by using a printer engine.
In a conventional system in which image data is registered in an image server (image storing apparatus) via a network, a user space of the server has a limitation, the user space being used for storing registered image data and a charge for this space being billed to the user. In the case of a home page, for example, a provider lends a space of 5 to 10 MB to a user which can form a home page as desired so long as the memory amount does not exceed this limit. However, if image data is registered more than this limit, the provider gives the user an alarm via an electronic mail or the like, with a predetermined grace time. If the memory amount continues to exceed even after this grace time, an additional charge is billed to the user.
With the conventional methods described above, a client is required to receive editing image data of high resolution from the image storing apparatus. Furthermore, even after editing, image data of high resolution is required to be transmitted back to the image control apparatus. Accordingly, a load on data transmission on the network becomes large and it takes a long time to transmit data. Particularly, when print services are used on the Internet, a connection charge becomes large and the user has a large economic burden.
Further, since character string data, graphic data and the like in the print data contained in a print order transmitted from a client to an image control apparatus on the network, are developed into image data and thereafter transmitted. Therefore, image data, particularly image data having a number of colors, has a large data amount so that a load on data transmission on the network becomes large, and that a load on the image control apparatus receiving print orders from a number of clients becomes large and processing print orders is delayed.
Furthermore, since necessary image data is transmitted always from the image server having original image data, a load on the image server becomes large.
Still further, with the conventional methods, even if a user unintentionally registers image data in excess of a limit space, this excessive registration cannot be recognized at that time so that the registration cannot be stopped or other countermeasures cannot be performed.
An alarm by an electronic mail or the like may not be read by the user so that there is a possibility of billing an additional charge while the user does not recognize.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems. The image control apparatus of this invention has the following configurations.
The image control apparatus comprises: receiving means for receiving editing information of image data stored in an image storing apparatus from a client; determining means for determining an output destination of output control apparatuses in accordance with the editing information received by the receiving means; and outputting means for outputting a print order corresponding to the editing information to the output destination of the control apparatuses determined by the determining means.
The image control apparatus further comprises managing means for storing and managing identification information of the output control apparatuses and image data stored in the output control apparatuses.
The managing means receives the identification information for identifying the image data stored in the output control apparatuses, from the output control apparatuses.
The determining means determines as the output destination the output control apparatus having a largest amount of image data designated by the editing information, in accordance with the identification information stored and managed by the managing means.
The image control apparatus further comprises instructing means for instructing the image storing apparatus to transmit image data not stored in the output control apparatus determined as the output destination by the determining means, to the output control apparatus.
The print order transmitted to the output control apparatus includes information of image data of a high resolution converted from image data of a low resolution designated by the editing information.
The identification information stored and managed by the managing means includes information of a time when image data is discarded, and after this time lapses, a corresponding identification information is deleted.
The image control apparatus further comprises name setting means for setting an optional file name of image data stored in the output control apparatus.
The image control apparatus further comprises: storing means for storing image data of a plurality of resolutions for each set of image data; and controlling means responsive to a request from the client for controlling to transmit image data of a low resolution to the client and for controlling to transmit image data of a high resolution to be used for the editing information received from the client, to the output control apparatus.
The managing means stores and manages the identification information in the unit of a plurality of tiles divided from each set of image data.
The editing information is described in a script format.
The client and the output control apparatus are interconnected via the Internet.
An image storing apparatus of this invention connected to a client and an output control apparatus via a network, comprises: storing means for storing image data of a plurality of resolutions for each set of image data; and controlling means responsive to a request from the client for controlling to transmit image data of a low resolution to the client and for controlling to transmit image data of a high resolution corresponding to the image data of the low resolution to the output control apparatus.
The controlling means executes a control operation after an instruction of transmitting the image data of the high resolution to the output control apparatus is received from an external apparatus different from the output control apparatus.
The controlling means controls to transmit image data in the unit of tile to the client or to the output control apparatus.
The image storing apparatus further comprises registering means for registering externally input image data in the storing means.
The image storing apparatus further comprises notifying means for comparing a memory amount permitted to an external apparatus transmitted image data with the image data, during a registration process by the registering means, and notifying a comparison result to the external apparatus.
If an instruction of increasing the memory amount is received from the external apparatus, the memory amount permitted to the external apparatus is increased.
The image storing apparatus is connected to the client or to the output control apparatus via the Internet.
An output control apparatus of this invention connected to an image control apparatus via a network, comprises: receiving means for receiving editing information from the image control apparatus; acquiring means for acquiring image data from an external apparatus in accordance with the editing information; and editing means for editing the image data acquired by the acquiring means in accordance with the editing information to generate output data.
The output control apparatus further comprises storing means for storing the image data acquired by the acquiring means, wherein the editing means generates output image data of one page from the image data acquired by the acquiring means and the image data stored in the storing means.
The acquiring means acquires image data of a high resolution from the image control apparatus.
The acquiring means acquires image data of a high resolution from an image storing apparatus which stores image data of a plurality of resolutions for each set of image data.
The output control apparatus further comprises erasing means for erasing image data stored in the storing means, wherein the erasing means erases the image data stored in the storing means when a predetermined time lapses.
The output control apparatus further comprises printing means for printing the output data edited by the editing means.
The output control apparatus further comprises notifying means for notifying the image control apparatus of identification information of the image data stored in the storing means.
The editing information is data described in a script format.
The output control apparatus is connected to the image control apparatus via the Internet.
An information processing apparatus of this invention connected to an image storing apparatus storing image data via a network, comprises: registration instructing means for transmitting an instruction of registering image data in the image storing apparatus; receiving means for receiving image data of a low resolution corresponding to the image data registered in the image storing apparatus; editing means for editing the received image data; and print requesting means for instructing an external apparatus to print editing information representative of the contents edited by the editing means, excepting the image data.
The registration instructing means transmits identification information of the information processing apparatus to the image storing apparatus, and after an access permission is obtained, transmits image data to the image storing apparatus.
The information processing apparatus further comprises displaying means for displaying, when image data is registered in response to an instruction from the registration instructing means and a notice of insufficient memory amount is received from the image storing apparatus, this effect.
The information processing apparatus further comprises instructing means for instructing, when image data is registered in response to an instruction from the registration instructing means and a notice of insufficient memory amount is received from the image storing apparatus, whether or not the memory amount is increased, wherein if the instructing means instructs to increase the memory amount in the image storing apparatus assigned to the information processing apparatus, this effect is notified to the image storing apparatus.
The information processing apparatus is connected to the image storing apparatus via the Internet.
In a print system of this invention connected to a client, an image control apparatus, an image storing apparatus, and output control apparatuses via an network, the image storing apparatus comprises: storing means for storing image data of a plurality of resolutions; and controlling means responsive to a request from the client for controlling to transmit image data of a low resolution to the client and responsive to a request from the output control apparatus for controlling to transmit image data of a high resolution corresponding to the image data of the low resolution to the output control apparatus; the image control apparatus comprises: receiving means for receiving editing information of image data stored in the image storing apparatus; determining means for determining an output destination of the output control apparatuses in accordance with the editing information received by the receiving means; and outputting means for outputting the editing information to the output destination of the control apparatuses determined by the determining means; and each of the output control apparatuses comprises: receiving means for receiving the editing information from the image control apparatus; acquiring means for acquiring image data from the image storing apparatus or another output control apparatus in accordance with the editing information; storing means for storing the image data acquired by the acquiring means; and editing means for reading image data necessary for editing from the storing means and editing the read image data in accordance with the editing information to generate an output image.
In another print system of this invention connected to a client, an image control apparatus and output control apparatuses via an network, the image control apparatus comprises: storing means for storing image data of a plurality of resolutions; controlling means responsive to a request from the client for controlling to transmit image data of a low resolution to the client and responsive to a request from the output control apparatus for controlling to transmit image data of a high resolution corresponding to the image data of the low resolution to the output control apparatus; receiving means for receiving editing information of image data stored in the image storing apparatus; determining means for determining an output destination of the output control apparatuses in accordance with the editing information received by the receiving means; and outputting means for outputting the editing information to the output destination of the control apparatuses determined by the determining means; and each of the output control apparatuses comprises: receiving means for receiving the editing information from the image control apparatus; acquiring means for acquiring image data from the image storing apparatus or another output control apparatus in accordance with the editing information; storing means for storing the image data acquired by the acquiring means; and editing means for reading image data necessary for editing from the storing means and editing the read image data in accordance with the editing information to generate an output image.
Methods for controlling the image control apparatus, image storing apparatus, output control apparatus, information processing apparatus, and print system as well as a storage medium storing computer readable programs realizing such methods, also constitute the present invention.